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Crawl (2019)
Good Old-Fashioned Thriller
"We are gonna beat these pea-brained lizard sh**s!" If you enjoy nature vs. man spookfests, check this one out. Good acting, a tight script and claustrophobic sets all work to make this one a good time. Recommended.
Kamera o tomeru na! (2017)
Fun with Zombies!
Loud, crazy, confusing and ultimately a movie that will make you smile. A film about a film about a film about a zombie film that gets attacked by real zombies. Or is it? Smart and funny.
The Neon Demon (2016)
We're So Pretty...Vacant.
This film is cold. The visuals are stark, yet dazzling. The soundtrack is ominous, yet dreamy. The story takes place in a landscape of desperation. The characters are vacant and emotionless. Refn has captured his vision of a bleak lifestyle very well. The Neon Demon is great to look at, as well. A strange film. Worth a watch. You'll connect with none of the characters...which, I believe, is the point.
After Life (2019)
Simply Amazing.
Gervais has knocked it out of the park. The dialogue is deep. The humor is brilliant. Every character demands reaction. Lovely. Highly recommended.
The Lighthouse (2019)
Symbolism Heavy PsychoDrama
Loneliness, regret and psychosis are wrapped in stark images and fiery dialogue. The duo cast in the sole roles bring it to life, but an overall point is elusive. A strange, artsy showcase of acting chops and cinematography.
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
WORTH REVISITING.
Revisiting this film after many years, I noticed how well Coppola and cast injected humor into the proceedings. Creepy and gory with stunning art direction, special effects and grand score, this film deserves respect. Keanu? Well, he's Keanu. It's hard to remove the feeling of Harker's Excellent Adventure. Ryder is beautiful. Oldman chews the scenery with his fangs. And Sir Hopkins's Van Helsing is a delight. If you haven't watched this one again recently, do so. It's a blast.
Spring (2014)
Dark, Modern Day Fairy Tale
Ultimately a traditional love story, wrapped in Lovecraft, Spring is a terrific film. Solid direction, top-notch acting, subtle exposition and a unique script make this a memorable experience that begs to be revisited. Nadia Hilker is amazing. At the film's climax, the premise is so "out there", that there is no other option but to allow the characters to accept it and dive right in. Highly recommended.
The Bye Bye Man (2017)
Absolutely Ridiculous.
Ludicrous story. Dialogue that resembles a group of kids "pretending" to play "Scary Movie" (for those of us who remember when kids used to play- pretend. A mish-mash of all the insipid supernatural clichés that have riddled teen-horror flicks for the past decade or so. Poor Faye Dunaway collects a check for a cameo that reduces her legendary skills to that of an acting student at their first audition. Enjoy.
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Horrible Waste of Time.
As a great fan of Ridley Scott and the original Alien film, I looked forward to this film. From the first 15 minutes, I couldn't wait for it to end. The characters are barely one-dimensional, there is zero character development, the editing is so lightning-fast it feels as though you are watching a bad MTV concert video, the action is nonsensical and the story is predictable. A total failure on all levels. Just bad. Not "so bad it's good" or campy or horribly charming. Just bad.
The Rezort (2015)
If The Walking Dead Met Lost...
As the tag line states: Jurassic Park meets The Walking Dead. The look and feel of the film plays out like an episode of The Walking Dead, while the island motif lends itself to a Lost comparison, as well. Good performances all around. Script is definitely derived from Jurassic Park (computer system failure), but the budget-restraints give it a fun vibe and keep it from looking overly slick. Nice synth-driven soundtrack compliments the proceedings. Folks visit a post- zombie outbreak island resort that allows visitors to hunt and kill the undead with automatic weaponry. The flood of zombie mayhem flicks in the last decade has offered much worse. Overall, it's fun little romp that doesn't disappoint.
Maps to the Stars (2014)
Cronenberg's Dark...Very Dark...Kind-of Comedy
A slight departure for Cronenberg, but his unflinching style to delve into the darkness of psychosis is still prevalent. Intertwining stories revolving around the shallow lust for fame in Hollywood. Julianne Moore turns in her usual terrific performance as an actress looking to make a comeback in a biopic of her late cult-star mother. Other performances are solid, as well. The humor is cynical, the script is taut and brings out the depth...or lack of...in each character. Recommended.
King Kong (2005)
Epic Story Told in an Epic Fashion. (Specific Scene Reference)
A long, well-written, and detailed love letter from Peter Jackson to the original 1933 classic. I waited a decade before watching this film. The original Kong is an all-time favorite and I have a soft spot in my heart for the 1976 version, as well. As an avid King Kong fan, I wanted to wait to see this one; allow the hype to die down and see it fresh and unaffected. Then, life went on. I watched a ton of different movies instead. You know how that goes. Anyway, I finally cracked open my DVD of Peter Jackson's follow-up to his Lord of the Rings trilogy and was blown away. I enjoyed every story line, thrilled to the Skull Island adventure and was emotional during the Kong in New York scenes leading to the film's end. Ann & Kong's moment on the ice in the Christmas-themed park will be one I always remember. The real wonder of this film is the amount of emotion and exposition that Kong's facial expressions and actions convey to the audience. Absolutely sublime direction and finely-honed special effects. Loved this movie. A stunning achievement. One of the finest films I've ever seen.
My Bloody Valentine (1981)
One Of My All Time Favorites
Something about this film makes me re-watch it at least once a year. Like Young Frankenstein, Deliverance and Thief, it appeals to me beyond the confines of its genre (in this case, 80s Slasher-Horror Fare.) The plotting, settings, scenery, black humor and ensemble of actors are hitting on all cylinders in this underrated Canadian gem. What could've ended up as just another cookie-cutter Halloween holiday-themed ripoff stands decapitated head and shoulders above its peers. The "teens" in this flick are actually young adults and that helps move the narrative into areas of regret, failure and yearning for something beyond the small-town life for our lead characters. Check it out. Highly recommended.
Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
Groovy, Guilty Pleasure - MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
This little gem shines in the cannon of campy wild 70s films. Hippy kids "out for kicks" dabbling in the Black Mass summon the great Count back to swinging London. Wonderful vampire clichés' abound (Really? Alucard spelled backwards is...Oh dear!), funky bad music, groovy fashion and the ever-troubled Cushing Van Helsing coping with his niece falling in with the in-crowd. Hammer purists will find this one faulted; though fans of 70s occult themed movies, psychotronic films or plain-old goofiness will find this a treat. This film goes great on a double bill with the likes of Psychomania, Horror Hospital or any of the AIP Amicus horror anthology flicks. The only complaint I have is that Christopher Lee's Drac has very little to say or do this time around. I can always count on this one as a go-to fun watch.
MT